Johnathan Rochester, prominent figure of ‘The Whisperers’ cult, has been convicted of the first-degree murder of former Governor Richard Starr, as well as the murder of Annabelle Holland, a former police officer.
Rochester was also convicted on charges of kidnapping and attempting to murder Lt. Governor Gracie McCoy.
Charges: 2024-CM-280, State v Johnathan Rochester
- x2 Aggravated First Degree Murder, Guilty
- x1 Aggravated First Degree Murder (Attempted), Guilty
- x3 Aggravated Torture and Mutilation;
- of Richard Starr, Guilty
- of Annabelle Holland, Not Guilty
- of Gracie McCoy, Not Guilty
- x1 Treason, Not Guilty
- x1 Stalking, Not Guilty
Charges: 2024-CM-284, State v Johnathan Rochester
- x1 Aggravated Kidnapping, Guilty
- x2 Aggravated Attempted Murder (2nd Degree), Guilty
- x1 Torture and Mutilation, Guilty
- x1 Aggravated Robbery, Guilty
- x1 Evading Arrest, Guilty
- x1 Hostage Taking, Guilty
- x1 Unlawful Possession of a Firearm, Guilty
Sentencing:
- 2024-CM-028: To be determined at a separate hearing.
- 2024-CM-284: 430 Months, $14,300
The trial was heavily contested, with opinions put forward on the evidence introduced. The defense took the stand that the law enforcement investigation was not conclusive enough, and some evidence allegedly proved that Rochester was not involved. The defense cited a forensics report which had inconclusive DNA results and unidentified fingerprints.
The defense also argued that there was not enough testimony to support the physical evidence to warrant a conviction.
The prosecution was adamant that the treasure trove of evidence, without extensive testimony, would be enough to conclude that Jonathan Rochester had committed the crimes he was charged off.
However, in the opinion of the court, the evidence was ‘disorganized’ which led to their case being ‘incredibly difficult’ to adjudicate. Because of this and the lack of subpoenaed witnesses providing testimonial evidence, Justice Rajesh Gupta, who adjudicated this case, has referred the matter to the Bar Association and admonished the State for the standard the case was presented.
The Court will note that this was an incredibly difficult matter to adjudicate. This was not due to the complexity of evidence, but due to the extreme lack of articulation of the matter by the State.
It is the State’s duty to articulate their case, rather than to make it disorganized, and make fact finding as difficult as possible for The Court. The State’s failure to do so to a reasonable standard is admonishable, and The Court indeed officially admonishes the State in this matter.
Furthermore, the State in a case which was on the docket for well over a month failed to include a single sworn statement or obtain the testimony of anybody other than Detective Rhoades.
This is to put it lightly, negligence at the very least, and this Court shall be referring it to the San Andreas Bar Association to investigate it further.
Justice Rajesh Gupta: Opinion on State of San Andreas v. Johnathan Rochester (280)
Rochester was found guilty of Attempted Murder, Kidnapping, Hostage Taking, Torture and Mutilation on Oct. 15 in a separate trial.
That court found he had attempted to murder Charlie Mahnor and Billie Eagley, after kidnapping them and torturing them. He was also found guilty of kidnapping Willow Clarkson.
All these incidents occurred in late 2024, leading to Rochester’s arrest and the subsequent trials.
The Initial Investigation into The Whisperers
This case has spanned nearly a year and a half of investigations, with the first incidents involving Rochester and the Whisperers beginning in early 2023.
Weazel News first covered this story in Janurary 2023, where a government press release urgently asked citizens to ‘avoid being alone’ and use caution across the state.
The Office of the Governor and Lieutenant Governor have received word of active threats against Government Employees and Citizens of the State of San Andreas. A small group, known as the “Whisperers,” have been hunting down and injuring Government Officials.
We are urging Citizens of the State to remain calm during this time. The threat does seem to be focused towards Government Employees, but we are unable to rule out that the threat could extend to regular Citizens of the State.
For now, avoid being alone, use caution, especially in quieter areas around the State. If you see something odd that looks out of place, such as a backpack, a cassette tape, paper, anything that looks odd – do not touch it, as this small group is actively using Arsenic.
Office of Governor Richard Starr (12th Jan 2023)
These attacks continued to plague the Starr administration, with frequent scares and an attack on the 3rd of February 2023 by the Whisperers injuring Governor Starr. There were also significant kidnappings such as the first kidnapping of Gracie McCoy and the kidnappings of multiple cabinet members, including the lead of the Department of Justice.
The Whisperers cult was a mysterious threat to the peace of San Andreas, frequently making appearances and reportedly stalking individuals across the county. Their aims involved forced compliance with their ideals and sets of beliefs about the public ‘remaining quiet.’
The cult was hellbent on blaming the San Andreas Government for violating their ‘god’s’ ideals about silence, and the timing of their emergence put that blame on the Starr Administration and cabinet.
The Second set of Attacks
The next set of incidents, including the deaths of former Governor Richard Starr and Annabelle Holland occurred in mid-to-late 2023.
Former Governor, and at the time, Director of the San Andreas Security Service (SASS,) Richard Starr was kidnapped from Bolingbroke Penitentiary on the 17th of July, and taken to the Grapeseed lighthouse on Catfish View where he was tortured and mutilated.
The former Governor was taken to the ICU where we would unfortunately succumb to his multiple injuries on the 20th of July.
Later reporting concluded he died from a number of injuries including mercury poisoning. Mercury was also found on the knife recovered at the lighthouse.
The death of Governor Starr was a shock to many. You can read the remarks from his family, friends and colleagues here.
On the 18th of August 2023, Annabelle Holland, a former Police Officer, was brutally mutilated by The Whisperers. With the death only being discovered by members of the Department of Justice, after a severed arm was found in their office.
She was found at the site of Richard Starr’s funeral on Route 68 and declared deceased after resuscitation attempts.
Lieutenant Governor Gracie McCoy was kidnapped on the 20th of October after being allegedly stalked by The Whisperers for a number of days. Evidence supports the claim that someone followed Lt. Governor McCoy’s movements and planned to kidnap her just south of the Governors Mansion, however in the opinion of the court;
The State failed to produce any relevant testimony in regards to proving the elements of this crime. As such the State has not proven the charge of Stalking beyond a reasonable doubt.
Justice Rajesh Gupta: Opinion on State of San Andreas v. Johnathan Rochester (280)
After being kidnapped, McCoy was taken to Cayo Perico where she was exposed to Ricin and stabbed. Police invesitgated a number of leads and found McCoy, taking her to a confined medical unit for treatment. Fortunately, McCoy survived and was able to detail an account to investigators.
The Third and Final Attacks
The attacks leading up to Rochester’s arrest and the trials happened in September 2024.
Rochester was found guilty of commuting Attempted Murder, Kidnapping, Hostage Taking, Torture and Mutilation against a number of victims in a separate trial on the 15th of October.
Rochester had taken Billie Eagley hostage, and and attempted to murder Charlie Mahnor. These two attacks related to an obsession which developed against the Clarkson family.
According to the victims testimonies, Rochester had been sending threatening phone calls to the former Chief Justice’s wife, Willow Clarkson on a number of occasions.
However on the 12th of September, after kidnapping and torturing Charlie Mahnor, the threats against the Clarksons escalated and Rochester attempted to enter the court house to ‘speak to the Chief Justice about a DNA Warrant.’ With police already at the courthouse, Rochester took Billie Eagley (who was at the court house) hostage and attempted to negotiate with police.
Rochester then fled the Court House in a pursuit, crashing out near Legion Square, and surrendering to police.
The rest is now history.
This article was written by Harry Kennedy and was formulated by the investigative work of Shout News’ Maxine Finch, Weazel News’ Erin Murphy and countless other journalists from Weazel and other organizations over the last year and a half.
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